e-Journal of Linguistics


Available online at https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/eol/index

Vol. 15, No. 1, January 2021, pages: 66-74

Print ISSN: 2541-5514 Online ISSN: 2442-7586

https://doi.org/10.24843/e-jl.2021.v15.i01.p08

Type of Bilingual Acquisition of Balinese and Japanese Mixed Marriage in Bali

1Lukia Zuraida

Politeknik Pariwisata Bali, Badung, Indonesia, [email protected]

  • 2    IKetut Darma Laksana

Udayana University, Denpasar, Indonesia, Email

  • 3    I Wayan Simpen

Udayana University, Denpasar, Indonesia, [email protected]

Article info

Received Date: 12 November 2020

Accepted Date: 25 November 2020

Published Date: 31 January 2021


Keywords:*

Bilingual language acquisition, mixed marriage, types of language transmitting


Abstract*

Japanese and Balinese mixed marriage children have become bilingual since the early years of the language acquisition period. They acquired the inheritance of the languages (Indonesian, Japanese, and Balinese) from their parents. This research was conducted to find type of language inheritance from parents to their children. Romaine’s six type of Bilingual Language Acquisition in childhood used to determine how the parent transmitting language to their children. The data was gathered using questionnaires and interviews, ten Balinese and Japanese mixed married. The result showed that one person-one language (type 1) approach was chosen by all families. The difference is in the strategy of parents passing on language to their children. Strategy 1 is the parents each speak their own language to the child, strategy 1a; the parents uses mixed code IL/JL/BL, strategy 1b; the parent use IL as father L1 which is dominant in community.

  • 1.    Introduction

Family is part of the community members. The meaning of the family according to Indonesian Dictionary is the whole house consists of mother, father and their children or group of people consisting of father and mother with children (https://kbbi.web.id/family, accessed on July 15, 2019). Mixed marriage family in this study consisting of Indonesian Balinese fathers and Japanese mothers who have children aged six to twenty years old. This age range is based on language development theory (Fry, 1977) and four stages of Piaget's cognitive development theory (Piaget, 2008). This Balinese and Japanese Mixed Married family (BJMMF) has more than two languages that will be inherit to their children. Father and mother have different mother tongues (L1). Preliminary data shows that each parent wants to pass on L1 to their children. From the beginning of their lives children have been introduced to different languages of their fathers and mothers. BJMMF’s children have become bilingual since the early years of language acquisition period. They gained the inheritance of languages from parents in Indonesian, Japanese, and Balinese. At the first language acquisition in a bilingual situation will certainly lead to different linguistic phenomena. They are simultaneously getting bilingual acquisition (McLaughlin’s, cited in Shin: 2005).

The fact of language acquisition is the process of ownership of language proficiency, both in the form of understanding and natural disclosure, without going through formal learning activities (Escudera, McLaughlin etc). Language acquisition is a process used by children to adjust a series of hypotheses with the greeting of parents to be able to choose the best and simplest grammar of the language in question. Child language acquisition involves two skills, which is the ability to generate spontaneous speech and the ability to understand others ' speech. The acquisition process is a subconscious process. Different from the learning process. Language learning is a process that is intentionally or consciously performed by learners in mastering languages.

There are two types of language acquisition of a bilingual child: simultaneous acquisition and a successive acquisition (McLaughlin’s, 1978). Distinction between simultaneous and successive bilingual acquisition are a child who acquires two languages more or less from infancy is regarded as acquiring them simultaneously, whereas a child who is exposed to one language in infancy and the second language later in childhood (after the age of about three) is considered as acquiring the two languages successively. Children who acquire two languages simultaneously may do so because the father and the mother each speak a different language to the children. A common terminology about bilingual acquisition is the simultaneous mastery of more than one language during the primary language development period (Genesee, 1989:162). The term implies that both languages should be viewed as the first language. Meisel (1989:20) states the acquisition of these two simultaneous languages is called BFLA (bilingual from language acquisition).

Every family has their own habits and rules for passing on language to children. Language attitude has an influence on the pattern of inheritance of language from parents to children. The initial assumption of this research is mixed parents can inherit or disconnect the inheritance of language to their children depending on their language attitudes. Parents of BJMMF want to transmit their L1 which are IL, JL, and also BL as their identity and root.

The purpose of this article is to explain type of language acquisition of BJMMF. This family live in Bali and have children who in the beginning of language acquisition have been introduced in two different culture and languages from both parents. The type of inheritance of language in the BJMMF in this study will be categorized according to six types of bilingual acquisition proposed by Romaine (1995) and also motivated by the one parent one language (OPOL) approach. The term "one parent, one language" was first introduced by Maurice Grammont in 1902. He theorized that by separating language from the beginning, parents could prevent confusion and mixing codes in their bilingual children (Barron-Hauwaert, 2004). Among the six types, the first type adapted the OPOL approach. Six type of bilingual acquisition in childhood are presented below.

  • 1)    Type 1: one person, one language.

  • 2)    Type 2: home language is a language that is not dominant in society.

  • 3)    Type 3: home language is not the same as environmental language.

  • 4)    Type 4: two home languages without environmental language support

  • 5)    Type 5: language that is not the same as the mother tongue of the parents.

  • 6)    Type 6: Mixed code.

  • 2.    Research Methods

This research was conducted in Bali. Respondents are BJMMF who live in urban areas, namely Badung and Denpasar. Like other urban areas, communities of Badung and Denpasar City are multiethnic with the Balinese ethnic as the majority. The dominant language used in

society is IL, although there is also BL as a regional language. To obtain the necessary data, questioner and observation carried out to 10 families of BJMMF. The family have children in accordance with the criteria as interviewees.

Data collection used questionnaire and interview methods. The research was conducted in the social environment of resource persons. Questionnaire distributed to 10 mixed married families. Interview also conducted to completing the data need. After the data is collected, the data will be reduced and arranged systematically. The sampling technique is non probability sampling, which is a sampling technique that does not provide equal opportunity for each element or member of the population to be selected as a sample (Sugiyono, 2010). The sampling technique used was purposive sampling.

Data collected through a questionnaire includes bio data, language skills, how the parents transmitting their language to the children. Descripting of respondents contains of education of the parent, age, L1, occupation, and how long they were married. Language skills level of BJMMF categorized in 4 levels: poor, average, good, and fluent. This is to measure the language skills of each family member: skills of IL, JL, and BL. The data about how parents transmitting their language to the children are divine based on 6 types of bilingual acquisition of Romaine (1995). Each variable in the questionnaire is identified to get an overview about how the children acquire language during the language acquisition period.

BJMMF as an object of this study have children from 6 – 20 years old. Regarding to stages of language development proposed by Fry (1977), and according to the range of cognitive abilities expressed by Piaget (2008). Six years old child already have ability to speech like an adult. The child is raised by a Japanese mother and Balinese father since they were born. The child has gained language input since one week after birth and input from both languages is present daily (De Houwer, 1990:3). Ten BJMMF as a respondent henceforth each was given code as family (F1) to family 10 (F10. Table 1 show the description of each BJMMF.

Table 1

Respondent description

Respondent

Years of marriage

Number of children

Period of Stay in Bali (wife)

F1

14

2

20

F2

20

2

15

F3

25

2

16

F4

20

2

20

F5

24

3

25

F6

12

1

12

F7

13

1

21

F8

9

2

11

F9

17

2

16

F10

7

2

10

From table 1 showed that the family has lived in Bali for more than 10 years. They have become a members of the community which is IL commonly use and dominant.

  • 3.    Discussions

In transmitting language to children, each family has a different strategy. From six types of bilingual acquisition in childhood (Romaine, 1995), type 1 is the most popular. One parent one language approach becomes the choice for BJMMF in passing down L1 of each parent to the children. Type 1 of bilingual acquisition in childhood from Romaine is one person one language. Parents have different native language with each having some degree of competence in the other’s language. The language of one of the parents is the dominant language of community. The parents each speak their own language to the child from the birth.

In this discussion data will be presented from each family and the strategies they use.

  • 1)    F1 Language inheritance

In F1, the dominant language in the community and neighborhood is IL. When communicating with children, mothers use JL and IL, so do fathers use IL and JL. Because the ability to understand the language of couples is limited, each partner uses their L1 to the child. Father has the ability to speak Japanese at level 3 which is able to understand speech and be able to speak a little. Children can speak in IL as well as in JL. Besides IL and JL, they are also able to use EL in daily communication. The type used by F1 is similar to type 1 in Romaine theory, but there is a slight difference in the strategy carried out by parents. Indonesian-speaking fathers use IL and JL when talking to children. Mothers use JL more and also mixed codes JL/IL when communicating with children with fewer frequencies. So it can be said that the strategy used in F1 is type one but different in strategy. They speak with mixed code between IL/JL to the children.

  • 2)    F2 Language Inheritance

Mother uses JL when communicating with children, as well as when communicating with husband. But in certain topics and situations mothers also use IL to their families. Nevertheless JL is the dominant language in this family. Fathers use IL and JL when communicating with children. Meanwhile children use mixed code of IL/JL when communicating with both parent. However the children's LI abilities are as good as their JL abilities. The whole family is also able to speak English. Both parent willing to inherit their L1 to the children. When communicating with children and husband, mother use JL. The goal is that children can communicate with mother and family of the mother. To introduce JL to children, mothers think that most

appropriate way is to use JL daily to children. Meanwhile, father uses mixed code IL/JL to the children. The strategy they use is similar with F1 which is using mixed code.

  • 3)    F3 Language Inheritance

Mother use JL when communicate to with children, likewise, with her husband. Father uses IL to the children. And using mixed code, IL and JL to the wife. The children use JL to the mother and mixed code JL/IL to the father. The children can understand speech and speak well in IL. Mother started learning IL and BL since she married with Balinese. The father in F3 is able to speak JL well, both understanding and speaking. Children speak IL as well as JL. In addition they are also able to communicate in EL. The type used in F3 is a one-person, one-language, which is each parent uses their L1 to their children. Even so, fathers sometimes use mixed codes IL and JL when to the children. It can be concluded that the strategy of inheritance from parent to child is use mixed code.

  • 4)    F4 Language Inheritance

Japanese mother can speak in EL well. The wife starts studying IL from her husband since he got married, as well as from Balinese family community. IL’s mastery is at the level of understanding speech and being able to speak a little. Mother use JL mostly when talking to children. On official topic and give advice or lesson to children, mother uses IL. On the other hand the father uses IL to the child because the father cannot speak in Japanese. Children use JL to mothers and use IL to fathers. Even though the father is Balinese, BL is not used much in family communication. The use of IL and JL is equal since each parent uses their L1 to their children. The children know BL from the community, school and father's family. Children’s BL competency is limited to understanding certain vocabulary words. From the previous explanation it can be concluded that the strategy of language inheritance in F4 is one person one language. Parents use each language when communicating with children. Mother uses JL and father uses IL.

  • 5)    F5 Language Inheritance

Mother is JL native and father is native of BL and mastering IL as the national language. In everyday life at home, mother has a tendency to use IL instead of JL. Likewise, the father uses IL. IL ability of the mother is good enough. She can understand speech and speak well. She is only understands speech of BL but unable to speak. Father doesn't speak Japanese well, understanding speech but only able to speak a little. While EL ability is as good as his wife. Children's language abilities are vary. The first child mastered IL and JL as well as EL, but unable to speak using BL. The second child in F5 has better BL skills than his 2 other siblings. The second child also can speak in IL, JL, and EL. While the third child BL ability is not as good as the second child. He also mastered IL, JL, and EL well. In everyday life at home, mother use IL and JL to the children. On certain topics use BI such as serious or emotional moment. Mother stated that it was more convenient to use IL than JL at home or in community. Mother does not force children to speak in JL. With husband as interlocutor, she also uses IL. The father of K5 uses IL to the children. All children understand IL well. It can be concluded that F5 have a slightly different strategy from Romaine theory. Parents do not use each L1 to their children, but rather use one of the parent’s language, which is the dominant language in the community. In this strategy there are components that are similar to type 1 from Romaine's theory but there are only differences in strategy.

  • 6)    F6 Language Inheritance

This family lives in community which IL is dominant in daily communication. Father can't speak in Japanese. Initially communication with the wife is done in EL. They married for 12 years, and over time, the mother can use IL. Communication with her husband is done more in IL

than EL. Mother has quite adequate skill in language. She can speak and understand well IL and EL besides JL as her L1. Even a little mother can speak Spanish because she has studied specifically. She also understanding speech and being able to speak just a little in BL. Mother use JL to the children, but on certain topics such as household and traditional topics sometimes use IL. Mother has strong-willed to make child can understand JL well. She wishes that the children can communicate with families in Japan which are the roots of mother. Father only uses IL when talking to the children. The strategy used by F6 in transferring language to children is parents use their L1 to the children. One parent language is the dominant language in the community.

  • 7)    F7 Language Inheritance

Mother IL’s ability is very good and is almost the same as her JL ability. Other languages that are mastered are EL and BL, although not very well. Only limited to understanding speech but unable to speak. Before getting married, mother knew IL, JL, and EL. And get to know BL after marrying a Balinese. Mother learned BL from her husband's family environment. Mothers only use JL to children (100%). Mother still considers it important to give her L1 learning to her child. Family also send their children to school in Hoshuko Sanur. At the school children learn language and customs and take part in Japanese cultural activities. From the mother's information it is obtained that the child often uses a mixed code of IL and JL. At such times the mother will correct the language mistakes made by her child. The mother also plans for her child to master other foreign languages such as EL. In order to later get a better job by mastering international languages. The father uses IL to the children, because IL can be understood by all family members. In all topics and settings, the choice of IL is dominant.

It can be concluded that the strategy used by F7 is type 1; each parent uses his language when talking to children. Community language is the language used by the father.

  • 8)    F8 Language Inheritance

Mother had lived in Bali for two years before marrying her husband, and had been able to speak IL before knowing her husband. The use of IL in F8 family is very good, all family members are able to speak Indonesian well. Father understand JL speech but not good in speaking. The father is Balinese native, while mother and children can only understand but are unable to speak.

Communication between mother and child occurs in JL (100%). When the wife speaks with her husband the chosen language is IL (100%). Father is using IL to the children (100%) and also with a wife. Whereas the child using IL to the father and JL when the interlocutor is a mother. It can be concluded that the type of inheritance of languages from the F8 family is a type of one-person one language (type 1). Each partner understands their partner's language at a certain level and each uses his language to the child.

  • 9)    F9 Language Inheritance

The wife did not know IL before marriage. She began to know and study IL since marriage. BL is known from the community and husband's big family. The husband knew JL before meeting his wife. The language used at the first meeting was JL. The husband is able to understand speech and is able to speak well in JL. Children in F9 can understand and speak well in JL. Mothers always use JL to the children. The children speak IL as well as JL. Communication in the family domain involves two languages intensively. Mother use JL more often than IL. Mothers use JL to the children and husband; while IL is used by husband when communicate with children. The children learn IL in their school. They use IL in the school or in the neighbourhood. IL is the dominant language in the neighbourhood. From this information it can be concluded that the strategy of language inheritance by F9 is type 1.

  • 10)    F10 Language Inheritance

At the beginning of the meeting, this couple uses EL to communicate. English is not L1 of this couple, so at the beginning of the marriage there are communication constraints. Mother also knew IL before marriage. After marriage the mother uses more IL to her husband. She getting to know BL from a husband and obtained from the husband's family environment. Nevertheless the ability of BL is not good. When talking with children, mothers always use BJp. Because only by asking to talk with children every day, then the children will know and can speak Japanese. Mother also send their children to Hoshuko or special schools for children of Japanese descent. The mother wants her child not to forget her roots as Japanese. Father use IL when communicating with children. Besides being used by father, IL is also used by grandmother (husband’s mother) who living together with the family. Children use BL when talking to grandma. Children learn IL and BL from the environment of neighbourhood.

Exposure to the previous section shows that each family has a different way of patterning inheritance to children. Even so the strategies used there are similarities. From the theory presented by Romaine (1995) added 2 strategies that cannot be accommodated by the theory. These two strategies are similar to type 1 in the Romaine’s concept so they are called type 1a and type 1b.

Most respondents use type 1 strategies in passing down language to their children. When communicating with children, fathers and mothers use their mother tongue. Husband and wife understand their partner's language to some degree. The dominant language in society is IL. Mothers use JL and fathers use IL when communicating with children. Parents have a reason that children must know L1 from both parents, so they pass down language and customs to children, one of which is through language transfer.

Three families choose type 1a, which is to use code mixing when communicating with children. Each parent has some level of competence in their spouse’s language. The dominant language in the environment is IL. Parents using a mixed code or code switching of IL, JL and EL. Children learn IL from a father and in their school, as well as from community which is dominant environment using IL.

Type 1b was chosen by one family. Mother is Japanese native and father is native of BL and IL. The strategy adopted by this family is different from the strategy from Romaine. However there are similarities with type 1 of the romaine approach. There is difference in the language inheritance strategies adopted by this family. A parent’ use one of the parents' native language in this case is the father and the language is the dominant language in community. This type is called type 1b with the condition that parents have two different languages, understanding each other's language at a certain level. The community uses one of the parents' languages (IL). The strategies adopted by this family use more IL when communicating with children. But that does not mean that the mother does not introduce her L1 to the child. Parent sent them to a special elementary school for Japanese people in Bali.

  • 4.    Novelties

The results of the data in the field show that the six types of bilingual acquisition in childhood theories are not yet fully accommodating, so two sub-types are added to adjust the data conditions. The two types added have the same conditions as type 1 from Romaine's theory, but differ in the parents' strategy in transmitting language to the children. Furthermore, this type is coded as type 1a and type 1b.

  • 1)    Type 1: one person one language

Parent: The parents have different native language which each having some degree of competence in the other’s language.

Community: The language of one of the parents is the dominant language of the community

Strategy: The parents each speak their own language to the child from birth.

  • 2)    Type 1a

Parent: The parents have different native language which each having some degree of competence in the other’s language.

Community: The language of one of the parents is the dominant language of the community Strategy: The parents use mixed code to the child (IL/JL/BL).

  • 3)    Type 1b

Parent: The parents have different native language which each having some degree of competence in the other’s language.

Community: The language of one of the parents is the dominant language of the community Strategy: The parents use one of L1 of parent, which is dominant in community (IL).

  • 5.    Conclusion

In mixed marriage, parents want their children to know their culture and roots as Balinese and Japanese. The choice of type one person in one language is very popular among families of different nationalities. Likewise in this study, all respondents chose the one person one language approach. Each parent wants to inherit their language to the children. Every family has different strategies to do it. The first strategy is that each parent uses their native language to the children. Mother uses JL and father uses BI. The second strategy, parents use mixed code or code switching to children. Code switching occurs in IL / JL / EL. Third is parents use IL as father L1, and is the dominant language in the community. There are different objectives of language learning by each family. That goal, among others: BJMMF parents want their children to be multilingual. The reasons given are they want their children to have a better chance of mastering more than one language, Opening wider opportunities for their future. Besides IL and JL, parents also want the children to master foreign languages such as English or Chinese.

Abbreviation

JBMMF: Japanese Balinese Mixed Marriage Family

  • IL: Indonesian Language                 JL: Japanese Language

BL: Balinese Language                  EL: English

  • L1: Mother Tongue

  • 6.    Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank to all respondents in this research and to Bali Tourism Polytechnic for supporting the research.

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Biography of Authors

W 'I 1

Lukia Zuraida, S.Pd., M.Hum. was born in Bojonegoro November 10th 1969. She is associate professor of Bali Tourism Polytechnic. Mastering Japanese Language in Language Center. She graduated his bachelor degree in the Faculty of Language Education, Surabaya State University in 1995. Finished her master degree in the postgraduate program, magister program, linguistic studies, Udayana University in 2009. She currently is completing his dissertation at Udayana University.

Email: l[email protected]

I Ketut Darma Laksana is a senior professor in Linguistics at Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia. He accomplished his master's degree in 1994 and doctoral degree in 2003 at the Linguistics Program at Indonesia University, Jakarta, Indonesia. His current interests are on issues related to cultural linguistics, morphology, and discourse analysis. He is also actively participating in national and international linguistics seminars.

Email:

m

I Wayan Simpen is a professor in Linguistics at Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia. He accomplished his master's degree in 1995 at the Linguistics Program at Indonesia University, Jakarta, Indonesia and doctoral degree at the Linguistics Program of Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia in 2008. His current interests are on issues related to ecolinguistics, cultural linguistics, and pragmatics

Email: [email protected]